BHAF Allotment Forum
Patcham : 16th Sept 2015

Dear Allotmenteer,
 
You are invited to our Allotment Forum Meeting;
 
Wednesday 16th September 2015 
6.30pm 'Surgery'
7.00pm Meeting Start
at Patcham Community Centre, Ladies Mile Road, BN1 8TA
 
All allotment holders and co workers are invited to attend.
Site Reps are expected to attend as part of their role.
 



NEWS
 
Scotland Protects Plot Sizes
A last-minute amendment to the Scottish government‘s Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill has given statutory protection to the standard size of an allotment.

Scottish Legal News
Herald Scotland

Brighton and Hove Allotment Federation led the way and Scotland followed!
Our Allotment Strategy in 2014 in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council protects allotmenteers right to a full size plot. This was something the Committee felt very strongly about, having seen the detrimental effects plot halving was making to our sites. We were also of the opinion that a 10 Rod plot, (A full size 250m2 plot) which is the ancient standard of plot size was the minimum size that a family would need if they were trying to achieve a good degree of self sufficiency in fresh vegetables. Your allotment is just that, your agreed allotment of land, dating back to the Enclosures Acts of the 17th and 18th Century. We are pleased to see that the size of your allotment will be protected in law in Scotland, and hope to see the same here in England and Wales.
 
 
More Plot Size Controversy
Charlie Dimmock digs herself into a hole over call to shrink allotments so more people can grow fruit and veg after experts point out that plots must be a standard size
Charlie-Dimmock-digs-hole


 
An Allotment is Hard Work
This looks like a good topic for conversation! Lia Leendertz likes Monty Don’s thoughts on allotments but has a warning for those looking to garden in a community.


 
Recording Wildlife to help protect allotments
Some important advice courtesy of Jamie Burston.
To help save your allotments - Roedale,Craven Vale and Whitehawk Hill, this is the way forward regarding your wildlife sightings! By submitting your sightings of wildlife, it can be anything such as birds, butterflies, bees, bats, wildflowers e.c.t. to the following website below it could serious help protect your allotment. iRecord is a very important recording tool! It's very easy to use and sign up to, the main thing about the sightings you submit, are they are verified by local experts. Ideally try and get a photo of any unsure species as you can attach this to your sightings. These sightings will be transferred to the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre database. Developers before taking any further step should request to see this database to assist in a environmental impact assessment, if any red listed or important sightings of wildlife come up then they have a real problem, great thing for us! My friend says bat roosts or badger sets or rare protected species on the site are the ideal things to look out for and send into iRecord.

 
Scandal of our Allotments
KATIE BEAT looks at their history, and at the growing threat to allotments, despite their supposed legal protection. She argues that their wholesale loss has become a national disgrace..
http://www.countrysmallholding.com/
 
 

 
John Jeffrey 'The Carers garden' at Craven Vale
‘I go out in the country sometimes and take cuttings, put them in rooting compound, then stick them in the ground. Sloes and things like that’.


 
Whitehawk and Craven Vale New Association Hut
Bought using the BHAF development fund (please forward your development fund applications to us!)
"A momentous day on site this morning as a group of us erected the site hub that will be our new shop, tea-making area, seed swap facility and general community resource!"

 
 
 
 
Roundup Weedkiller banned in France
The French Ecology Minister said: 'France must be on the offensive with regards to the banning of pesticides'
 
 
Well rotted organic horse manure for free
Please can you let your members know that I have for free well rotted organic horse manure (no fertilisers on fields) available all year, every year at Pulborough Stud, Blackgate Lane, RH20 1DD . No need to ring to make an appointment, they  can just turn up and help themselves ...but need bags or a trailer.Thanks, Leigh
 
 

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Allotment Forum Details
The meeting is in 2 parts; the first half hour, beginning at 6.30pm, is an informal surgery where people have an opportunity to speak to BHAF members or the Council Allotment Officer on a one-to-one basis over a cup of tea.  This allows individual and personal issues to be dealt with more quickly and efficiently. 
 
The second part of the meeting begins at 7pm and relates to more general and city-wide allotment issues.  If you have a problem/question or an item for the agenda, come and talk to us during the surgery and we will do our best to help.

There is free parking at Patcham Community Centre and on surrounding streets. 
For those travelling by bus, the 5 and 5A buses stop within 2 minutes walk of the centre (The Ladies Mile bus stop). 
 
Timetable details can be found here:
 
The BHAF Committee is always in need of volunteers to help us run the Federation effectively, if you can spare some time to join the Committee, please get in touch!
 
We look forward to seeing you.
Best Regards,
BHAF Committee.
 
 

Brighton and Hove Allotment Federation  www.bhaf.org.uk